‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 23 Theories: Who Will Be Sent Home During Week 9 Eliminations?

We’re officially nine weeks into Season 23 of “Dancing With the Stars” and the ABC cast is dwindling fast. As more and more couples are sent home, the competition intensifies — which “DWTS” duos will hold strong and which will crack under the pressure?

As it stands now four teams — Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy; James Hinchcliffe and Jenna Johnson; Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold; and Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko — are battling for the top spots on the leaderboard. While all three have proven strong contenders in Season 23 of “DWTS,” injuries and partner switches may jeopardize leads for some. On Nov. 4, it was revealed that Gleb may have to sit out Week 9, leaving Jana potentially partnered with troupe member Alan Bersten. James’ partner Sharna Burgess has also been benched due to a knee injury.

During Week 8 “DWTS” fans were treated to an epic Halloween-themed episode, during which three perfect scores were given out and one team was sent packing. An unusual dance-off element was also added to the competition, pitting teams against one another and leaving judges and fans at home in charge of their fates in real time. Laurie and Val, James and Jenna and Calvin. and Lindsay received scores of 30 out of 30 in Week 8. Due to their position on the leaderboard, however, only James and Jenna were spared from having to face off against another team to secure their spot on the show. In the end, Ryan Lochte and partner Cheryl Burke were able to take down Marilu Henner and Derek Hough during the dance off, but were still sent home because of low scores and viewer votes.

Which couple will be the next sent home? Here are our best guesses:

Marilu Henner And Derek Hough:

When Season 23 of “DWTS” began, many believed Team Henergy would have a leg up on the competition due to their experience on the dance floor. While Marilu and Derek have been able to pull off some impressive performances, in recent weeks their once high energy has begun to fade as the pressure to impress mounts. As such, it seems likely that they will be named the next couple sent out of the ballroom for good.

Terra Jolé And Sasha Farber:

For weeks Terra and Sasha have been wowing judges and those viewing at home with impressive over-the-top performances. Still, they remain second to last on the Season 23 leaderboard heading into Week 9, which leaves them in danger of being sent home.

Calvin Johnson Jr. And Lindsay Arnold:

Despite a perfect score in Week 8 and holding it down at third place overall on the Season 23 leaderboard — one position above Jana and Gleb — we think Calvin and Lindsay still stand a chance of being sent packing in Week 9 of “DWTS.” The pair consistently perform well together, garnering high scores. Still, it seems the judges want more from Calvin — can he deliver and save himself and Lindsay?

Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko:

Jana and Gleb have had undeniable chemistry in and out of the ballroom throughout Season 23 of “DWTS,” but with an injury plaguing their team that singer/actress may be forced to perform with a new partner. While James was able to impress viewers and judges with his Week 8 routine with Jenna after dancing with Sharna for weeks, there’s a good chance Jana will be thrown by her potential new pro.

Find out for sure which of the remaining Season 23 couples is sent home in Week 9 by tuning in to ABC Monday at 8 p.m. EST.

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